A Lloydminster man is celebrating a $500,000 lottery win after checking a ticket he had been carrying for weeks.
Randy Kuzek won the prize in the Feb. 23 Daily Grand draw. He said he discovered the win while stopping at a 7-Eleven location, where he decided to scan a stack of tickets he had collected over the past month.
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“I had a stack of tickets to check,” Kuzek said. “When I came across the winner, I thought it actually said $5,000.”
After scanning the ticket multiple times, he realized the prize was significantly larger.
“I scanned it a second and third time and realized it was half a million,” he said. “I was all smiles.”
Kuzek said the win came during a difficult time, following the death of his mother at the end of February.
“My mom passed away and then we had a terrible snowstorm, which prevented me from travelling,” he said. “Had I been able to travel, I wouldn’t have gotten this winning ticket.”
He said the win has reminded him of time spent with his mother, who often accompanied him on trips where they would buy snacks and lottery tickets.
“When I would buy tickets, she would always say to me, ‘Do you ever think you’re going to win one day?’” Kuzek said. “It’s hard to believe. I am grateful.”
Kuzek is looking forward to putting his winnings into saving for retirement and helping out his kids.
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